Alcohol bill not ready for second reading
As things stand, alcohol cannot be bought in food retail outlets. Photo: EPA
It is still unclear when the parliamentary bill on the retail sale of alcohol will have its second reading in the Icelandic Parliament (‘Alþingi’), according to Speaker of the House, Einar K. Guðfinnsson. All opinions emerging from the General Affairs and Education Committee need to be submitted before the bill can be debated again.
The bill, which seeks to authorise the sale of alcohol in retail outlets in Iceland, was passed by Alþingi’s General Affairs and Education Committee on Friday, despite not garnering the support of the majority of its members. The Committee has received some criticism for approving the bill for a second Alþingi reading in the absence of certain committee members opposed to it.
The bill was first put before Alþingi in the autumn. The first mover of the bill is Vilhjálmur Árnason, MP for the centre-right Independence Party (‘Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn’). The new proposed rules would not be confined to beer and wine but would allow the sale of all types of alcohol, subject to certain conditions.
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